Under the dappled sunlight
by Lady Kiren
Summary: A bit of Lucy and Tumnus fluff, oneshot.


Disclaimer: I do not own Narnia or any of the characters

A/N: This just sort of popped into my head and I really love the idea of Tumnus and Lucy together when she gets older. Just so you know, I've only read the Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe so I won't have details from the other book, sorry. But anyway I hope you like it and please review!

Lucy sat in one of the huge plush velvet chairs in the library. A book propped open in her lap, legs tucked under her, and sunlight streaming down on her reddish brown hair highlighting the auburn in it. Her face was a picture of complete peacefulness as she was lost in the fantasy of the book. Tumnus always found her like this, from the time when she was just a small child to the time that she was the beautiful nineteen year-old she was now. He stood leaning against on of the nearest bookcases, still unnoticed by the young queen. A small smile curved the corners of his mouth.

After a while, Lucy seemed to sense he was there. She lifted her head and smiled, "Mr. Tumnus!" she said, her whole face lighting up now that he was here. Tumnus found her could not help but smile as well. "Hello Queen Lucy," he replied. Lucy feigned annoyance and said, "Please Mr. Tumnus call me Lucy. I am just Lucy to you" Tumnus smiled and then said, "Very well Lucy Pevensie, then please call me Tumnus." Lucy smiled and nodded and then asked, "Won't you join me and have a seat?" Tumnus nodded and pushed himself off of the bookcase and sat on the chair across from her. She closed the book and placed it gently on the table beside her.

"So Tumnus, how have you been lately?" Lucy asked, her full attention now on him. "Very well thank you, just finished moving into my new home." Tumnus had moved from his original house that Lucy had first visited when she had first seen Narnia just to be closer to her. Lucy sat up at the news and exclaimed, "Oh that's wonderful!" And it truly was, before they only saw each other every couple of months, for the journey from the castle to his home and vice versa was long.

Tumnus smiled and replied, "Yes, you and I shall be seeing one another more often now, and you Lucy? How have you been?" Lucy smiled and replied, "Lovely, thank you. I shall have to make a trip to see this new house of your soon." They smiled at each other and sat in the comfortable silence for a long moment before Susan walked in.

"There you are Lucy, I've been looking for you. Oh, hello Mr. Tumnus," said Susan upon seeing him. Tumnus nodded and replied, "Hello Queen Susan." Susan smiled and then turned her attention back to Lucy. "Your archery lessons begin soon Lucy, you know how much Peter hates it when you are late," Susan said gently. Lucy scowled but got up anyway. She turned to Tumnus before leaving, "You are welcome to come Tumnus." Tumnus nodded and followed her to the outside grounds where Peter was waiting.

"Lu," Peter began, "you're late." Lucy pouted and Peter laughed, a deep golden rich sound. "Good day Mr. Tumnus," Peter said, nodding to the faun. Mr. Tumnus smiled and said, "Hello your Majesty." Peter grinned and made ready and arrow.

"Alright Lucy, are ready?" Peter asked. Lucy laughed and asked, "Peter you know as well as I, that every time you ask that the answer is the same," Lucy teased. Peter laughed again and shook his head, "So cheeky," he muttered before aiming and shooting, just missing the bulls-eye. Lucy did the same and got the bulls-eye. "So almightily High King Peter, what do I need to improve my form now?" Lucy teased again. Peter raised an eyebrow and smirked, "For one thing, Lucy the valiant, you need to aim more for the exact middle of the bull-eye instead of just the general area." Lucy lightly slapped his shoulder and made a face at him. Peter grinned again and the lesson went on that like until it was over, then teasing each other back and forth, just as it always did.

When it was over Lucy found Tumnus sitting under a shady tree smiling up her. She smiled happily and sat down next to him. They sat looking out over the sunny grounds. The breeze played with the loose strands of Lucy's hair. Tumnus watched her as she gazed happily at the world. 'She is so beautiful,' he thought to himself. He had been her friend all these long years and had always known she was special.

Lucy had always been kind and sweet, and while many thought it was her sister Susan that was the real beauty, Tumnus had always thought Lucy was prettier. Lucy had a different beauty; it was more wild and untamed. It had been a while since Tumnus had seen Lucy with her hair down. A while back Susan had deemed it improper for Lucy to wear her hair down now that she was a young woman. Even though she wore it up in elaborate hairdos, Tumnus could see it had grown quiet long. He fervently wished he could just run his fingers through it. He immediately shook the thought from his head and dismissed it because he knew that she only thought of him as a friend.

When Tumnus wasn't staring, Lucy was. She watched him and thought he looked so peaceful. She loved the color of his eyes, like bright clear water, the bluest she'd ever seen. The friendly fondness she had for him these past few years had grown into something else, something more. But she never thought he would see her as anything but a child. It seemed that was how everyone saw her, as the child she used to be. It was so frustrating at times, sometimes she just wanted to throw her arms around Tumnus and tell him how much she loved him. There was nothing she wanted more but she knew that he saw her as a child and thought of her as only a friend. She told herself to be happy with that, because at least she could be near him that way.

"Would you like some tea?" Lucy asked Tumnus. He looked at her and replied, "That would be lovely Lucy thank you." She smiled at him and he thought that there could be no brighter thing to see. She stood and held out her hand to help him get up. He took her hand and marveled at how soft it was. She helped him to his feet and they walked arm in arm to the castle to have afternoon tea.

They had their tea in one of the man sitting rooms. Sipping their tea quietly and enjoying each other's presence. "So Tumnus," Lucy started with a smile, "are you staying for a while or just for today?" Tumnus regarded her carefully; Lucy felt a shiver down her spine with his blue eyes staring into hers. He set down his tea cup and answered, "Well I don't know, I didn't have a plan. But I am thinking, would it be alright if I stayed here for a week or so? That is if I wasn't intruding." Lucy beamed at him and said, "I think it would be wonderful if you would stay here." Tumnus smiled and replied, "Well thank you I think that is what I will do."

And so it came to be, Tumnus was given rooms down the hall from Lucy's own grand rooms. The week passed by in a blur of lessons, teas, books, talks late into the night, and many other things that drew them ever closer each day. They shared many happy memories that week and on the last day Tumnus was there, Lucy crept through the quiet corridors in the early morning and knocked on Tumnus' door.

Tumnus blinked his sleepy eyes slowly when he heard the soft knock at his door. He rubbed his eyes and slowly got out of bed. He opened his door and saw her. The early morning sunshine shone behind her like a halo of light. "Lu…Lucy?" he asked sleepily. She pressed a finger to her lips and motioned for him to come with her. He stepped out into the corridor and shut his door behind him. He saw she had a picnic basket in the crook of her arm along with a thick blanket.

They walked along many hallways until the reached a tapestry portraying a hunt. Lucy lifted the right side and opened the small wooden door that was there and motioned for him to step inside. He did and she followed him and finally gave him an explanation for the early morning wake-up call and crazy adventure.

"I'm ditching all my lessons today and you and I are going to spend a wonderful day in the woods," Lucy said with her eyes shinning. Tumnus smiled and asked with mirth, "I gather you've done this before?" Lucy giggled and replied, "Only a couple of times. Now come on, let's go." She started to walk on in the dark tunnel. "But Lucy, it's dark and I can't see!" Tumnus exclaimed, afraid that she would leave him there. He felt a warm hand close around his own and heard Lucy say, "Then I guess you'll just have to hold me hand." Both of them where glad it was dark, because both of them were sporting a very rosy blush.

After a while Lucy stopped and Tumnus could hear her opening a door and before he knew it, he was blinded by the very bright light of the outside. After a few moments, he could see again and they were off again. "So how did you find that passage Lucy?" Tumnus asked with a wry smile on his face. Lucy looked at him, her eyes shinning with mirth. "Well…one day I just couldn't face the thought of another days worth of manners classes…I just went looking for it." She shrugged and went on, "So I asked myself, where would a secret passage be? And that was what came up. I haven't used it in a while though, Peter gets kind of annoyed." Tumnus just laughed and said, "I can imagine but it is not like you actually need the practice." Lucy blushed lightly and said, "Thanks."

The reached the woods and soon found a beautiful clearing. They then finally realized that they were still holding hands. They both dropped each other's hand and blushed shyly. Lucy set down the basket and shook out the blanket in the middle of the clearing. She motioned for him to sit next to her and she pulled the basket over.

It turned out she had packed both breakfast and lunch for them. They ate their breakfast in the dappled sunshine. Sitting side by side, and even though they didn't realize it, they were quite close. At some point, their hands had found each other again and they rested together on the blanket.

After they had finished eating, Lucy started to take down her hair. Tumnus had noticed and asked, "Lucy, what are you doing?" Lucy looked at him and smiled, "Taking out my hair. Seeing as Queen Susan isn't around, it will be fine. And plus it feels so much better this way." She finished taking out the pins and she gave it a good shake. Tumnus was instantly mesmerized as her saw the beautiful auburn curls gleam in the sunlight.

Next thing he knew Lucy was back on her feet, and starting to run off, barefoot in the forest. "Lucy!" he called after her. She turned and laughed, "Come on Tumnus! Come run with me!" Tumnus stared at her incredulously and asked, "Run with you?" Lucy laughed again and came back and stood in front of him. "Afraid you'll get beaten by a girl Mr. Faun?" She was smirking and had the most mischievous look in her eyes. He must have fallen in love with her all over again. She looked so wild, untamed and beautiful. He shook his head and stood.

"No of course not," was his reply. She smiled again and turned and got ready to take off. "Well then come on," she called over her shoulder. She then took off, hair and gown streaming behind her. Tumnus wasn't a particularly fast runner, hooves made it hard to do this, but he could navigate over and around roots better than Lucy and that was often slowing her down.

They ran through the forest hearts pounding and faces smiling. Lucy had never felt so free and happy. 'And his smile…it's so wonderful,' she thought to herself. She wasn't sure if she would ever have the courage to tell him how he felt, but she had gotten this far. Holding his hand earlier, had been so…oh she didn't know. It just felt…right.

Lucy finally collapsed in a patch of moss and Tumnus went along with her. They lay side by side, faces upturned to the sky. Lucy closed her eyes and enjoyed his closeness, hearing his breathing and feeling his heartbeat. She made a choice then, she would tell him. It was his last day, so even if he…no she wouldn't think about it.

"Tumnus?" came Lucy's tentative voice. Tumnus' eyes flew open. "Yes Lucy?" Lucy took a deep breathe and started. "I…I need to say this so please don't say anything until I'm finished. Please?" Tumnus replied, "Alright."

"I know that you may only see me as a child, that is after all how everyone sees me. And maybe you see me as only a friend but…" Tumnus' breath hitched in his throat. His hopes were soaring but he wouldn't say anything, because Lucy asked him not to. Even though he desperately wanted to tell her how much she meant to him and how much he loved her.

"As I've grown up and as we've spent more and more time together, my feelings changed. Tumnus…I…I love you," Lucy finally let her breath out, it was said, she said it. The words hung in the air for a moment; Tumnus lay stunned before he could speak. "Lucy, by the lion I love you too." He could hear Lucy gasp and sit straight up. She looked back at him as he sat up, "Really?" He could see tears welling up in her eyes, her bright eyes. He reached his hand up to her face and brushed the tears away with the tip of his thumb.

"Yes Lucy Pevensie, really," was his simple reply. She threw her arms around his neck and hugged him. He pulled her close and embraced her. After a while she calmed down, and her heartbeat slowed. It seemed as though their hearts beat at the same time, in harmony, as if they were meant for each other. They sat under the dappled sunlight, finally knowing that they loved each other, finally feeling at peace.

Fin

A/N: Well, I'm not sure I like it. And I may write an actual chapter fic based off of this one later but we'll see. Anyway, please review!


End file.
